Xlendi Bay fit for swimming
Ministry accused of defending ‘favourite contractor’
Popular Xlendi Bay was declared fit for swimming by the health authorities five days after it was contaminated with raw sewage.
The final contamination tests on samples of seawater taken from the bay were clear, making it safe for swimmers, the health authorities said in a statement yesterday.
The bay was closed last Monday after a contractor hit and broke a main sewer pipe in Xlendi Road, causing untreated drainage to flow into the bay.
The police were called on site and immediately asked bathers to get out of the water. Signs in five languages were put up around the bay informing bathers that the water was not safe.
The Gozo Ministry said the contractor “accidentally” broke an old sewage main during the reconstruction works on Xlendi road. It also confirmed no action was going to be taken against the contractor because the pipe had to be replaced in the coming weeks.
But Labour spokesman for Gozo Anton Refalo yesterday condemned the ministry for defending “its favourite contractor” instead of defending the interests of the taxpayers and the Gozitan environment.
He described the ministry’s decision not to take action as “shocking” especially after the drainage spill led to the bay’s closure, causing environmental damage and financial damage to the tourism industry.
“All this happened because the government decided to start roadworks in summer to accommodate the contractor whose interests come before those of the tourist operators in Xlendi, according to the Gozo Ministry,” he said in a statement.